Friday, March 11, 2011

Finding Faith The Great Depression played no favorites-a fact that thirteen-year-old Faith Covington finds out when her father loses his job and she and her mother are transplanted from their upscale neighborhood in New York City to a farm in the Pennsylvania wilderness. As Faith struggles to learn a new way of life-and ultimately to figure out who she is, her faith is challenged by new customs and by a plot she stumbles upon that threatens the whole community. How will she respond when she comes face to face with racism, persecution, and greed? Will her faith hold up? She'll have to dig deeper, pray harder, and take more chances than she ever thought imaginable to discover those answers.

Rambling Squirrel A whimsical story about a young squirrel and his journeys outside his home. Beautiful, full color illustrations captivate the reader and the storyline is peppered with amazing squirrel facts.

Lessons from the Mountain In this strikingly honest book, McDonough shares the story of her overnight transformation from a normal kid in a working class, Irish Catholic family, to a Hollywood child star. She reveals intimate memories of life in and around that idyllic Virginia farmhouse (really a Warner Brothers back lot in Burbank) - sneaking off to steal candy from Ike Godsey's store; developing crushes on guest stars; trying to crack up cast members during takes; and, most of all, forming a tight-knit second family who played, worked, hugged, and squabbled together. But in the years that followed the show's long run, as McDonough tried to reinvent herself, she found herself battling depression and personal insecurities amplified by her celebrity. Gradually she gained the courage to stand up not just for herself, but - in true Waltons tradition - for others, taking on a new role as an activist for women's body image issues.

Mothers and Daughters When a box of Iris's belongings arrives on Sam's doorstep, she discovers things about her mother she never knew - or could even guess. But she is puzzled by much of what she finds.

The Last Martin There's always a Martin. One Martin. Martin Boyle already has plenty to worry about. His germaphobic mother keeps him home from school if she hears so much as a sneeze, and his father is always off somewhere reenacting old war battles. Julia, the most beautiful girl in school, won't even speak to Martin, and the gym teacher is officially out to get him. Which is why Martin really doesn't need this curse hanging over his head. On a trip to the family cemetery, Martin wanders among the tombstones of his ancestors and discovers a disturbing pattern: when one Martin is born, the previous Martin dies. And---just his luck---Martin's aunt is about to give birth to a baby boy, who will, according to tradition, be named Martin. Martin must find a way to break the curse, but every clue seems to lead to a dead end. And time is running out.